Gympie school bus driver who let student drive faces court

A SCHOOL bus driver who let a student steer the bus on a busy road has been convicted in Gympie Magistrates Court of dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Magistrate Maxine Baldwin found John James Patrick O'Malley guilty on December 19, 2014, after he pleaded not guilty to the charge. O'Malley, of Gympie, had been driving school children along Station Rd one afternoon between May 1 and 31 last year when he allowed a 14-year-old girl standing beside him to take total control of steering the bus.

Footage of the incident was taken by another passenger on the bus and handed over to police.

They said the girl steered on her own for four to five seconds as oncoming traffic passed the bus.